‘Homeland’ actor: White men in the government and military the real ‘bad guys,’ not Muslim community

While appearing on Friday’s edition of MSNBC’s MTP Daily, Homeland actor Mandy Patinkin made a bizarre statement, suggesting that “white men” in both the government and the military are “the bad guys” in their dealings with Muslims.

His hyperbolic suggestion came as he recalled that the latest season of the show had turned towards a more sympathetic portrayal of Muslims in reaction to charges that the show had stoked anti-Muslim sentiments in previous seasons.

We have tried to be part of the cure, not part of the problem. A different story line where we’re helping these people and a story line that shows in this case, in this year, in this season and — that maybe it’s the — and it is white men in the government and the military establishment that are the bad guys, not the Muslim community.

Got that, white guys in the military? Patinkin thinks you’re the problem, not the people who are actually engaged in terrorism.

Wilmouth added:

Several minutes into the interview, after Patinkin spoke of his efforts to bring Syrian refugees into the country, host Chuck Todd brought up the issue of Americans being afraid some Muslim refugees might commit terrorism:

TODD: What role do you think you can play in helping to de-escalate the fear? Because there’s — it’s fear that’s out there, the idea that, ‘Hey, you bring in pockets, and it just takes one infiltrator to ruin the entire program.’

Patinkin fretted that government leaders had a history of choosing people to “vilify,” oddly including “Nazis” in his list of people who have been “vilified” in the past:

Yes. Well, this is where Homeland and the real world are one for me because I started to say earlier it’s false information. It’s not the truth in terms of how you get elected and the tools you use. It’s the oldest trick in the book. I find someone to vilify. In movies, it was cowboys and Indians and the Nazis, Communists, you know.

He then went a bit over the top as he referred to Muslim “contributions” to the world being “monumental” as he added: “Now, they’ve chosen the Muslim community — a community who’s made contributions to the world of a monumental nature.”

So how is this to be addressed? According to Patinkin, the show will change its tone to “a different story line where we’re helping these people and a story line that shows [that change] in this case, in this year, in this season.”

And of course, that includes criticism of President Trump and other politicians, he said:

“And so back to the issue of how you get elected, you tell the populace who you need to be afraid of. You need to be afraid of these people over here. And you vote for me — I’ll keep you safe. When let’s just put some facts on the table, please, God.”

Wilmouth said Patinkin went over-the top yet again: “The gift I have to give to my fellow countrymen and people around the world, the facts are, the Muslim community are our gift. They are the fabric of what makes America great.”

Here’s video, courtesy of MRC TV:

I don’t subscribe to Showtime, but if I did, I wouldn’t watch this program, and I’d drop my subscription over this. What you do is up to you…